What: After
a ninety minute discussion, Presbyterian
Church (USA)’s 221st General Assembly has directed its socially
responsible investment committee {MRTI} to discern and act on fossil fuel
divestment. “The PCUSA’s
vote to discern and act on divestment is important,” said the Rev.
FletcherHarper of GreenFaith, an
interfaith environmental group which hasadvocated
fossil fuel divestment and clean energy reinvestment by religious institutions, “and must lead to divestment. After
decades of clear evidence about the grave threat posed by climate change and
resistance to change by the fossil fuel industry, the time to act has arrived.” This means that the 222nd PCUSA General
Assembly – in 2016 - will be further considering fossil fuel divestment. This follows
referral of overture # 15-01 to the denomination’s Mission Responsibility Through
Investment committee: http://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/mrti/what-mrti/

What: This biennial
meeting brings together commissioners and advisory delegates from 172 presbyteries in the United
States, as well as other delegates and observers from around the world. The Fossil Fuel Divestment Overture was one
of the most talked about items up for discussion and debate.

Why: The Fossil Free PCUSA group, and other
supporters of the PCUSA divestment overture are deeply concerned about current
and future effects of climate change. We look forward to working with MRTI on
this critically urgent issue. Scientific research confirms that carbon dioxide
emissions from burning fossil fuels are the main cause of climate change. The impacts on agriculture, water, public
health, and vulnerability to disasters are severe and will worsen as global
temperature rises. In order to limit climate change to less than 2 degrees
Celsius, we must transition rapidly to renewable energy. This evidence is
motivating people of faith in various communities, as well as students at multiple
academic institutions, to embark on divestment
campaigns. This reality is motivating people of faith in various communities,
as well as students at multiple academic institutions, to embark on divestment campaigns. The campaigns urge the financial agents of
their respective organizations to withdraw stock and bond funds from investment
accounts which contain fossil fuel company shareholdings. This action would
align our investments with our values of Earth stewardship and social justice,
and free resources to invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy
solutions. We also hope that as part of
a global movement, divestment by the PC(USA) can help build public awareness
and political will to regulate the greenhouse gas emissions causing climate
change.

Our first intention was to affirm and appreciate the work done by 12
Presbyteries, not just 1 or 2, but 12 Presbyteries, to bring this critical
issue of climate change before the assembly and encourage us to take action
now!

Our second intention recognized how complex this work will be. We fully
respect and support the operations of MRTI that have managed our church so well for decades. Therefore, we
recommended a commission to work cooperatively with MRTI in developing an action plan, along with a
timeline for complete divestment by June 2019

The Young Adult Advisory
Delegates, of which I was one, voted for a stronger action in a minority
report. Clearly, when our church decides to take action, it is powerful and
transforming. We are not always quick to act. We don’t have much time for
engaging in shareholder actions or activism. It’s time for PCUSA to speak with
a strong, prophetic voice to break the gridlock on this issue so that we might
finally be able to create positive change. Now is the time for bold,
transforming action. Just think where we might be in a decade.

-Ben Terpstra, Young Adult Advisory Delegate, East Tennessee

The Arkansas Presbytery
voted for full discussion of this overture and is fully behind this grassroots
movement. At Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center, we have the world’s first LEED
Platinum certified building, and participants at the camp and conference center
are taught about renewable energy sources and energy efficiency; we also have
“Solar under the Sun” learning opportunities. We, in Arkansas, also have
extreme fluctuations in weather over the past two years which concern us a
great deal, and we have environmental problems related to fossil fuel
extraction and shipping.

-Mary Beth Lysobey, Ruling Elder Commissioner, Arkansas Presbytery

As a young person seeking to
be faithful to God’s call to care for the Earth and love my neighbors, I want
to give my tithes to a church that will use them to “serve and keep” the
Creation (Genesis 2:15). By divesting from fossil fuels, and RE-investing in
renewable energy, the PC(USA) can strengthen the global movement to mitigate
climate change and protect the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable sisters and
brothers.

My spouse and I just had our first
child. We named him Rowen after the Scottish Mountain Ash tree which is now
threatened by a changing climate. Climate change is frightening. And as a
new parent, I want to do all I can to help make the future a less scary for all
who come after us. Our son just recently discovered he has hands, and that they
are connected to his body, and that he has some agency over them. Our Reformed
faith reminds us of the same truth that, like our son, we sometimes don't
realize that in God's grace, we have some agency to make real changes to the
ways we have always done things in order to make our world less scary for
future generations. It is my deepest hope and prayer that we as a denomination
will "remember our hands" and make a clear commitment to divest over
the next 5 years from fossil fuels. In so doing we do not lose our voice at
all, but in fact make a powerful moral statement to our world that we as a
church refuse to profit from that which threatens the very future of our planet.
We have a wonderful way to shepherd this commitment through our MRTI and I am
excited about how we can honor their incredible legacy of prophetic stewardship
while making a clear commitment to divest.

As the church we serve as
the moral conscience of the nation. To divest means we are making a
prophetic statement our country needs to hear.

Rev. Paul Henschen, Ellendale, N.D.,
Overture 15-01 Advocate.

Presbyterians agreed to take on the
issue of fossil fuel divestment today. Although no dead line for complete
divestment was established most believe that the church will honor the world
wide goal of five years for complete divestment of its over $200 million
dollars, which may be the largest fossil fuel divestment to date by any
entity.

It is important that the
church pay attention to the excesses of our society and the ways in which we do
damage to creation and to our own future. The crisis we face calls for prompt
action, and this divestment is a gesture in the right direction.

Our PEC Luncheon will be held at Fort Street Presbyterian Church, where we will hear a brief video prepared for us by Bill McKibben of 350.org. Our keynote speaker will be Fletcher Harper of GreenFaith who will speak on divestment from fossil fuels. We will also be wishing a happy fifth birthday to Earth Care Congregations and hearing about our annual award winners.

We welcome Fossil Free PCUSA to our booth and hope you will ask your commissioners to visit one of their representatives including Dan Terpstra and Wil Howie, who organized the movement. Abby Mohaupt and Susan Chamberlain from First Presbyterian Church of Palo Alto (among 5 others) represent the church who initiated the overture.

PEC is hosting other special guests at our booth:

Saturday 2-4 PM

Curtis Karnes, EP of Yukon Presbytery, representing the Overture on the Precautionary Principle

Saturday 2-4PM

Tiffany Immingan of Yukon Presbytery, an indigenous youth representing the Alaska Community Team on Toxins, supporting the Overture on the Precautionary Principle

Sunday 3-5

Rebecca Barnes, Associate for Environmental Ministries

Monday

Fletcher Harper, Director of GreenFaith

Wednesday afternoon

Rob Mark, pastor of Church of the Covenant in Boston and Eco-Stewards coordinator

There are several members of the PEC Steering Committee Attending GA this year who will beat the booth as well:

Abby Mohaupt At-Large Rep

Fred Milligan At-Large Rep

Holly Hallman Northwest Rep

Paul Henschen Midwest Rep

Sue Smith Treasurer

Jane Laping Vice Moderator

Diane Waddell Moderator

Strength and wisdom to all of us in this amazing journey!

Diane Waddell, Moderator

Gracious God, Grant us courage, grace, wisdom, and strength during this General Assembly and in the days ahead.Give us discernment as a body of Christ in seeking social and environmental justice now and through the years to come. In deep gratitude we pray. Amen.

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

For years I have been using the phrase “things are heating up” when talking about family and business issues that need attention. The phrase takes on new meaning when applied to the constellation of issues that involve God’s good earth. Things ARE heating up! Literally and metaphorically. Naming some of them could fill the page. But, I’d like to talk about solutions instead.

This year PEC is involved in bringing four overtures to General Assembly. But, because things are heating up we need to start the process of asking what else needs the blessing of the Church United. More voices, more ears to hear the concerns, more overtures? How do we make change happen? In 2016 the conversation will have moved from trying to convince people that “heat” is happening to “mitigation” for those in hunger, those displaced by rising seas, those who share life with us but live beneath the sea, under, and in, the soil, in our forests…

How do we, Presbyterians for Creation, gather the issues together to be held up to the next assembly? In looking at different models, we have found, already in our care, a local group doing just what feels like the-very-thing! Yukon Presbyterians for Earth Care meets by phone with a computer file of photos (so everyone can put a face together with a name). People with concerns talk about their communities and problems. It has worked well enough for them to birth a Regional Conference this September—and we are all invited! This conference is focused on climate change and is still looking for participants!

The Steering Committee has endorsed the model and is giving it a field test in the Northwest Region. Meetings will be every other month, for an hour. A call-in number is used and anyone who wants to join in can. Meeting minutes are sent to all who have an interest. Like our national Advocacy meeting, we open and close with prayer, invite someone to address an issue that needs our hearing, and follow with a discussion. We end with ideas for further reflection and/or action.

If we start now how many of our hearts concerns can we lay before the next General Assembly? When the Coal Export Overture came before Seattle Presbytery a young woman stood before the gathered meeting. She spoke of attending hours and hours of meetings on environmental assessment. She often testifies and when she does she wants to be standing up knowing that the whole PC (USA) is standing behind her. YES! When you raise your voice wouldn't you like to know that you have that VOICE standing with you? That is the dream we hope to turn into reality for the general assemblies to come.

The idea of regional advocacy is coming your way! The timeline for that will vary with each of my fellow regional reps. I’m hoping, when they contact you, that you will jump in with ears to hear and ideas to promote!

Blessings to all who HOPE in a world where things are “heating up”.

Holy One,We pray for the new ventures of PEC. We pray for a voice that can be heard all over your globe. We pray that we can give voice for the creatures we live with that have no human sound. Bless our time in this General Assembly and in the ones to come. And, give us discernment on how to turn the heat down!Amen